Reiterating his “we’re on fire” observation, Rentrak CEO Bill Livek added that the deal just disclosed with Interpublic’s Mediabrands division is “ a big deal,”
because Interpublic says it will be “using Rentrak as a trading currency.”
The Interpublic deal, which covers its Mediabrands division, including Initiative, Universal McCann and
Magna Global, follows an agreement by Havas’ MPG unit to begin using Rentrak’s TV audience data as a currency for making advertising deals on CNBC for financial services client Fidelity
Investments.
Livek called the new Interpublic agreement a “milestone deal in terms of the dollars paid to Rentrak, but more importantly, it establishes Rentrak as a trading
currency.”
Livek cited a number of other important ad agency deals, and said that it currently counts every one of the major agency holding companies, with the exception of WPP, and that
Rentrak expects to sign WPP soon. WPP, of course, owns Kantar Media, which competes in the digital set-top data business with Rentrak.
Livek also cited recent deals with Aegis Media, an
several smaller shops, including “Jon Mandel’s agency, PrecisionDemand.”
Jon Mandel, of course, is a former top media executive at both WPP and Rentrak rival Nielsen.
On another media-buying front, Livek disclosed that Rentrak has signed a deal with a major political media-buying entity to use its data during the 2012 campaign season. He said the terms of the
deal and the identity of the group could not be disclosed, but he said it means, “Rentrak is very important in this political cycle.”